A Newark NJ man has been sentenced for the strangulation death of a woman.
Essex County NJ prosecutors argued that the 46-year-old suspect strangled the 58-year-old victim to death and later threw her body into the Passaic River.
Both the suspect and the victim were homeless when the murder occurred. They lived on the streets near the Passaic River in Newark, New Jersey.
The victim’s sister attempted to reach the victim on Thanksgiving morning in 2012; however, the victim’s cell phone was not receiving messages. A short time later, the victim’s sister received a phone call from the suspect, who reportedly told her that he was trying to get help for the victim.
Newark law enforcement discovered the victim’s body in the Passaic River near the 900 block of Route 21.
Although the primary cause of the victim’s death was said to be strangulation, medical examiners also said that the victim suffered stab wounds and blunt force trauma to her head.
The suspect was eventually arrested on suspicion of murder.
The suspect reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in June 2015.
Now the suspect has been formally sentenced for the homicide. An Essex County superior court judge handed down a sentence of 25 years in New Jersey State Prison.
The suspect will be required to serve more than 21 years in prison before he becomes eligible for release on parole.
The suspect, who reportedly has a history of mental health problems, will also be placed in a psychiatric hospital for the time being so that he can get mental health treatment.
To learn more about this case, view the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Sentenced for Strangling Woman to Death, Dumping Body in River.”
